Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Amazing Grace

Below you will hear one of most beautiful versions of Amazing Grace - that is if your computer will play it. So as recommended when I received this: TURN YOUR SPEAKERS UP ................ AND WHEN IT HITS THE 3 MINUTE MARK .............. HOLD ON TO YOUR SEATS!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtrnB4FZ-yc


DH says there's too much orchestation. I think he's nuts.

There is still some snow north of here that I see on the drive to work. This is almost unheard of.

Laura

Monday, March 2, 2009

snow and spring


The snow is all gone. It's still very cold here, but it's supposed to warm up by the end of the week. My daffodils are up and blooming, so spring is on its way here.


I posted that people had sense too soon! Last night I got a call from a co-worker informing me that school had been cancelled for today. Now I teach in a rural county, and it is very possible that we had black ice or worse on some of the rural roads, so I wasn't too surprised. I am however, the kind of person who checks that kind of info before turning off the alarm clock. When I checked the local weather website, I found a huge list of churches that had cancelled services! Obviously, my church was not on the list. Perhaps that's because most of them, including the pastors, are from places like Minnesota and Wisconsin, not Alabama and Georgia (smile)

Mom called and said they had a couple of inches of snow in Montgomery! That doesn't happen more than once every 4-5 years, and then it's usually just a dusting!

I've made good progress on my taxes on my surprise day off. Maybe I'll get some sewing done soon.

Laura in Alabama

Hi from the cold north

I don't post here much since I haven't been feeling too cheerful lately, but I check every day. It was nice to see a few more posts this weekend. I haven't been quilting much, but I did half clean up my sewing room this weekend. We are getting our house ready to show, so the big clean is on. I see that there is more snow and wintery weather today in places that don't usually get it. I'm shivering in solidarity: it's -35C here this am. Farenheit and Celcius converge at -40, so you have an idea how cold that is. At least the days are getting longer. And it is March - we only have about another 4 - 6 weeks to go before we can think spring.
Hope all who are ailing feel well soon. I'll be watching for all your news.
Brenda in Nn Ontario

Sunday, March 1, 2009

snow

We had a couple of inches of snow, and the snow was still coming down fast at 8:00 when I left for church. It has been so warm here that the roads were still clear. The snow was gone by noon.

It was good, wet snow that stuck only to cars and yards. The kids had a snowball fight between early church and Sunday school. That lasted until one of the little ones, who had never seen snow before, got a snowball in the ear. One of the mothers, originally from Minnesota, took him in the kitchen and ran warm water on his hands and wiped off his face, and the tears soon ended. None of the kids were dressed for playing in the snow either.

My choir director wondered if we turned off the lights, would we get away with singing Christmas carols. (no! LOL)

Snow is a big deal here, and normally brings everything to a total standstill. I was surprised that no one cancelled or delayed services this morning. People actually used sense instead of panic!

The Auburn U.production of "Into the Woods" was extremely well done. I thought the girl playing the witch was excellent. The rest of the cast was good, but not, in my opinion, outstanding. The technical aspects, which is what my niece does, were as professional as anything I've ever seen. I guess she's really getting a good prep for doing this professionally. I just hope the economy picks up to where she, and all the other kids, have opportunities to find jobs.

Laura in Alabama

Sunday

Joleen, I feel the same way you do. We didn't get more snow last night, but our yard is definitely buried still. I am longing for Spring!

Sara, I loved your comment that a nap on the couch is the solution to all! The one good thing is that the only wall that I have completely wallpapered is the wall that faces the bed, so when I lie in bed I can fool myself into seeing what the room will look like finished by focusing on just that one wall. Yesterday I did manage to paper over and under the double window on the next wall, so the paper goes around at least one corner of the room, making it look like a little more is done. DH has promised to help sand the mudded areas. It'll get done when it gets done.

Since I couldn't wallpaper much yesterday, I planted myself on the couch (Sara!) and read The Quilter's Legacy, fifth in the Elm Creek Quilts novels. It has been some time since I read the first books in the series, so I really enjoyed this. Trouble is, it made me yearn to quilt, and right now I just don't really have the time. With two of the kids poised to move out of the house, this is the time for us to do some badly needed redecorating. Our bedroom is just the first of several projects. The living room will be next--or maybe the den, since that's what will be opened back up when DD moves out and her bedroom is removed from that area. Then when DS moves, his room will become my sewing room (!!!!!!), much to the dismay of his younger brother, who would like that room. Sorry, but I called that one!

Much will be happening, and our family dynamics will change a lot this year. Oldest DS moved out four years ago, but I've had four kids at home all these years, and to go from four to two in the space of a couple of months is going to be really strange. I hope I don't cry like I did when first DS moved out. The times, they are a'changing!

Jean in VT, who is watching her nest slowly empty...ready or not!

Sara in Florida spent 2 hours working in her yard. I spent about 2 hours shoveling snow in mine! What's wrong with this picture? We had a one-day snow event on Thursday with most of Minnesota getting measurable amounts. Kids got out of school early and had a late start on Friday. I don't mind the "snow events" (as they like to call them now) this time of year because I know the snow will be gone before too many days go by. I haven't posted for quite awhile again - but I always check in every day. I started a Dear Jane class! It is once a month for the next two years (or more?). I have never done applique or foundation piecing or tiny little blocks, for that matter - just give me a rotary cutter and a ruler and I am happy. This is going to be a little out of my comfort zone, but, it is addicting. Several of us bought big 3-ring binders, cut the spines off the book and put all the pages into plastic sleeves in the binder. Then as the blocks are finished I am putting them in the plastic sleeve. Also printed off some of the lessons from the computer program and put them in the book - I'm definitely organized even if I'm not always accurate on my seams! I have 10 blocks done - only 200+ to go. We are heading to California for a few days later this month. We have an exchange student from Denmark and thought it would be fun for her to see some other parts of the country. She will get to Florida in June because she is going with my daughter on the school band trip. Better get movin' so I'm not late for church. They always notice if I'm missing since I direct choir.... Joleen in MN